Iraqi Popular Army

:"This about the Iraqi paramilitary group that existed from 1970-1991. Click here for the real Iraqi Army":"This about the Iraqi paramilitary group that existed from 1970-1991. Click here the more recent paramilitary group the Fedayeen Saddam"Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Iraqi Popular Army
"Al Jaysh ash Shaabi"


caption=
dates=1970-1991
country= Iraq
branch= paramilitary
role=
size= Peaked at over 650,000 in 1987 cite web |date=2007 |url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/militia.htm|title = People's Army / Popular Army / People's Militia|format = HTML |publisher = globalsecurity.org| accessdate = 2008-04-24 | last= |quote=]
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commander1=Taha Yassin Ramadan
commander1_label=Last commander
disbanded = 1991

The Iraqi Popular Army or People's Army / People's Militia / Al Jaysh ash Shaabi was a paramilitary composed of civilian volunteers to protect the Ba'ath regime against A)internal opposition and
B)to serve as a counter-balance against any coup attempt by the regular Iraqi Army.

Lead since 1974 by one of Saddam Hussein's closest advisors, Taha Yassin Ramadancite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2333287.stm | title=Obituary: Taha Yassin Ramadan | date=March 20, 2007 | work=BBC News | accessdate=2007-03-20] . It was only dissolved when Taha Yassin Ramadan became Vice President of Iraq in 1991

The People's Army was sent into Iraqi Kurdistan before 1980 and even out of the country to such hot spots as Lebanon to fight with Palestinian guerrillas during the 1975-76 Civil War.

Action seen

Al-Faw

The First Battle of Al-Faw, fought on February 11, 1986, was a battle of the Iran–Iraq War. The Iranians launched a surprise attack against the Iraqi troops defending the al-Faw Peninsula. The Iraqi units in charge of the defenses were mostly made up of poorly-trained Iraqi Popular Army conscripts that collapsed when they were suddenly attacked by the Iranian Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guard) forces.

ee also

*Iraqi Army
*Fedayeen Saddam

References